They see a shape upon a screen,
A boundary measured, sharp and small,
A box of miles, a cube defined,
With finite length and structured wall.
But like the blue box in the storm,
Or nesting dolls of painted wood,
The outside is a gentle cloak
For depth that can’t be understood.
For look closely at the coastline’s edge,
Where rivers turn to starlight swirls,
You dive into a single drop
To find a thousand hidden worlds.
And in the deepest, quiet space,
Buried within the patterned trace,
A perfect baby universe
Reflects the Father’s starting place.
This is the map of how we live,
The spark of bird, the breath of man,
Each soul a wave of energy
Returning where it first began.
Into the great and golden cube,
Where rest and vibrant rivers meet,
An endless territory wakes
Beneath our unencumbered feet.
And just when every world seems full,
The Master takes the cosmic pen,
To fold the fabric back once more
And bid the new earth start again.
A tapestry of worlds in worlds,
Where life expands and never ends,
And every soul that passed to peace
Deep in the fractal grace ascends.
Line of inquiry:
The dream seems real since we don a form,
borrowed from elements of that domain,
but if we simply chose not to conform,
we wake up when desires to rest are lain. - Unseeking Seeker
This ungainly body of flesh and bone
disintegrating slowly year by year . . .
it’s not my physique that I wish to own
once I let go and see new life appear
This shell I wear composed of elements
covers organs, and it must be fed.
It’s not the bearer of my sentiments,
and surely I’ll not miss it when I’m dead.
Unencumbered by this outer shell,
I could be the free translucent me.
I’d float; I’d soar; I’d go where angels dwell.
Embraced by light and love I long to be.
Original prompt “The Song My Soul Never Seeked” by Hiya Sharma
Not for contest
The freedom you promised was finite,
Halfheartedly holding hope
Even as you eviscerated vows.
Stillborn, the song was silenced~
Obituaries written, often incomplete,
Names with no reference
Gone with the heartbeats of gold~
Mayflies and magpies and magical madmen,
Yestermornings and yearnings~
Still the song stays silent,
Only an occasional, old memory of ocarinas,
Unencumbered and undiluted
Like sorrow searching.
Neverending echoes of emptiness~
Even as life enfolds life~
Visions of vast wastelands
Etched like embarrassed prayers
Remembered too late.
Splintered and tossed aside
Every hope, every desire,
Every wish, every evening dream~
Kindness is washed away in rage,
Every note of the hymn is lost,
Deserted and desolate.
They tossed their manes as they made a stand
unencumbered by darkness or day
Years of their hooves etched into the land
worries left behind along their way
as Tribal Peoples honored their stay
Wilderness horses have always known
the freedom to run beneath the sun
feeding on wild grass Nature has sown
free to chase clouds or a wild dream spun
and spirit warriors witnessed each run
Then word came:“(so heavy on the brow)
let cattle graze, for dollars they bring
thus loaded on trucks, all are gone now
leaving echoes of freedom’s bold ring
now their song of the wild, wind will sing
Swimming is a moment of pure freedom
The water envelopes me
Holding me close like a gentle lover
with each stroke, I let go of the weight
that pressed down on me
The world above fades away
and I am left with the quiet rhythm of the water
In this moment, time loses all meaning
I am suspended between the surface
and the depths, a fleeting moment of peace
A sense of connection to something greater than myself
The water carries me and I am free
In its embrace, I find my solace
The world may be chaotic but
in the water, I am at peace
With each breath, I let go a little more
I let go of my fears, my doubts and my worries
I am left with the sensation
of the water against my skin
The feeling of weightlessness
The sense of being alive
Swimming in my sanctuary
My second place of refuge
My moment of freedom in the water
I am me!
Unencumbered and untethered
I swim and I am free
Gravity grips hard—
joy strains against grasping hands;
wings are folded back,
empathy gathers its thrust,
compassion burns to lift-off.
On an upward arc,
will the pilot, now commands
the body fights earth,
leaving bright trails of hot flames
effervescent with white sparks.
Then bliss bomb ignites—
shreds the weights bound around feet,
into skies open
to the joy of weightlessness;
unencumbered — free at last.
BEAUTY FORMULATED-:-
timeless
ideals
derived
pure
parallels
of UNFILLABLE LONGING
austere
quintessent
expressed
fundamental
tenets
of INNER VALUED
measured
complicit
identified
unencumbered
complexity
In realms of reverie, I envision a domain,
Where serenity descends like gentle rain,
Love blossoms forth, a boundless, fertile ground,
And equality's radiant light shines all around.
A world where resources, rich and rare,
Are shared with equity, without a care,
The treasures of the earth, a collective wealth,
Bestowed upon all, a universal health.
In this harmonious sphere, we'll find our voice,
A world where every life is a precious choice,
Valued and cherished, each soul a gem,
Unencumbered by the shackles of phyletic whim.
A fraternal bond unites us, hand in hand,
We stand as siblings, in a world so grand,
One candle lighting another, a beacon bright,
Illuminating paths, banishing endless night.
A city of love, hope, and peaceful sway,
Where moral compass guides us, come what may,
A place of dignity, where all can thrive,
And the cacophony of discord, finally, dies.
In this utopia, power's corrupting grasp is stayed,
And the craving for dominance, a relic of a bygone day,
For we are stewards, of this wondrous earth,
Co-creators, with the divine, in a dance of mirth.
I ran into you
On my grandmother's porch
Twisting about, in the rain
Free, innocent, unencumbered
I glanced at you
In the eyes of my first love
Held your hand
Free, innocent, unbothered
I sat on your back
As I kept rhythm with your trot
Thinking this is living
Free, innocent, unhurried
I embodied presence
As I meowed on stage
Playing an insignificant part
Free, innocent, unified
Never separate...just out of sync
Written by Trudy Schrader on 01-10-2026
Blessings to you and yours for a wonderful Christmas filled with harmony, joy and peace. Love and light, Michelle
On this Christmas Eve
By Michelle Morris
24/12/2025
On this Christmas Eve
I wish you all the best
May you be lucky to be with loved ones
May you experience calm and rest
I wish you joy and happiness
Blessings of love and peace
May the light of baby Jesus
Ignite the miracles we all need
May harmony fill the air
May people feel good and kind
That Heaven on Earth is possible
That we are healing hearts and minds
For anything is possible
God made us in His image
We are part of the Universe's magic
We are starlight and stardust and meaning
May we experience the beauty of all
May we feel free and unencumbered
So that we can be pure souls of love
Never forget our power; yet stay humble
© Michelle Morris, 2025
They drift into my mind quite frequently,
those memories of days when I was free
of classrooms, books, and teachers. I could be
an unencumbered child. Time was the key
that opened doors to creativity
for kids performing their own comedy
and posing for those snapshots all would see.
Backyards transformed to wonderlands as we
rode piggyback and played with buoyancy.
Green grass served as a cushy mat for me.
A little rest made summer tiredness flee;
then I pursued fun to the nth degree.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The caterpillar completes its cocoon and starts dissolving, quietly awaiting metamorphosis. That transformation must be such an odd experience when seen from the inside, a sort of confusing birth until it emerges with some biological comprehension of what it has become. At one time all it could do was crawl. Then suddenly it flies on gossamer wings.
cocoon's gentle grasp
softly wraps the soul within
transformation's sleep
silken threads unwind
emerging new life takes shape
unfurl sequined wings
wings of butterfly
dancing, soaring, free, and light
unencumbered soul
Penetrating cold.
Decry warmth, compassion -
world is lost, twisted.
Innocence forgave,
Indoctrinated hate, strikes -
Inescapable!
Overwhelming fear,
Far right reaches to arm -
Flashes, pain, darkness.
Propaganda rise.
Educated disbelief,
words failing to heal.
Fascism, no regard;
Resounding hatred echoed -
Elites unburdened.
Rich unencumbered,
Preying on the downtrodden -
Reverse Robin Hood.
Tech-bro oligarchy;
Puppeteers the White House,
Bent knee to Pontiff.
2025:
Rage consumed populous;
kindness - a lost art.
My beloved, you and I, an inseparable duet,
Two souls entwined in an eternal pas de deux,
Our hearts beating in tandem like two wings of a bird
Soaring effortlessly on the thermals of devotion.
We are the embodiment of fate's masterful orchestration,
Two kindred spirits predestined to converge,
Our love a sublime symphony that resonates across the firmament,
A celestial harmony that echoes through eternity.
In your eyes, my love, I behold the reflected glory of the divine,
A beauty that transcends mortality, a radiance that shines.
You are my élan vital, my raison d'être, the missing piece that makes me whole,
My forever haven, my guiding star, my soul's sweet home.
Forever and always, my love shall be the sanctuary where you find solace,
The safe haven where your heart can beat freely, wild, and unencumbered.
I love you more than words can articulate, more than the heavens are vast,
And the oceans are deep, you are the luminous essence that illuminates my existence.
it's baggage on our mind when we'd prefer to be free
we at once realize we've become caretakers
weighed down with the burden of responsiblity
look and resist the craving to own
enjoy things in the moment
it's surprising how little we need
seek the freedom to be open
to what comes our way
unburdened and unencumbered
stuff is the anchor to our past
we deserve to allow ourselves
the freedom to be free
AP: Honorable Mention 2025
Sub Categories
Looking for the formal definition, structure, and history of this poetry form? Visit the Poetry Dictionary entry below. Then return to explore how PoetrySoup members bring the form to life through their own poems.